Lake Michigan’s Undiscovered Shipwreck “Cluster”

Diver Ross Richardson claims to have located a previously-undiscovered shipwreck cluster in northern Lake Michigan. Richardson believes the five wrecks he found may include that of the 226-foot sidewheel steamer AD Patchin, lost in 1850; and the 150-foot brig Julia Dean, which sank in 1855. Kemplon Engineering takes a look at the news around this exciting find.

A Fascinating GoPro Video
Richardson had uncovered the cluster of wrecks over last summer, around the Island of Skillagalee. His mission was to find undiscovered wrecks with a decent last known, attainable position. The wreck he believes to be that of the AD Patchin, for instance, is just about 30 to 35 feet beneath the water.

The area Richardson had found the wrecks in is known to have a reef system that may have felled vessels before better navigation information and the building of a nearby lighthouse served as a warning to the dangers beneath the surface of the water. Another source of danger is piracy, which the Julia Dean’s captain had blamed the vessel’s loss on.

The three remaining wrecks are not yet identified. Richardson says it’s harder to have more than an educated guess about the identities of ships in shallow water wrecks, given damage from wave action and ice.

The avid diver had docuented his finds via a GoPro camera attached to a pole, a technique that placed the diver in the shot for better perspective. Richardson is also a writer and speaker on Michigan’s maritime history, and maintains a website, Michigan Mysteries, at http://www.michiganmysteries.com/.

Shipwrecks are a vivid snapshot of a lost time. They are reminders of the past, and that of the romance, mystery and danger of our waters.